Tray-filling machine



Dec. 24, 1929. s. T. HoYT Er A1.

TRAY FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet l 4M 7. JW a @fm *w ATTORNEYS- TRAY FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 4M y, muy d ATTORNEY S Dec. 24, 1929. s. T. HOYT ET AL 1,740,893

TRAY FILLING AMACHINE 441W Q Maux/50%.? 'M 7l-LM ATTORNEY Y Dec. 24, 1929.

s. T. HoYT ETIAL TRAY FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 1W r/E/v To was BY '21.194 ww ATTORNEYS Dec. 24, 1929. s, T. HOY-r ET AL TRAY FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 BY. MNM;

ATTORNEYS menne De`.24,1929 y UNITED sTaTlzs PATENT OFI-'ica sums '.r. non im mami) n. iso'rLEY, or noNoLULU, rmmironr er Hawaii raar-FILLING MACHINE Application led January 14, 1929. Serial No. 832,524.

This invention relates to a machine adapted to receive empty cans from a conveyor, and to thereafter deliver said cans onto p ortable trays. More specically the invention includes the step of arranging the cans into groups adapted to fill trays of determined dimensions, and the delivery of said groups to trays mounted on a conveyor traveling adjacent the machine.

A machine of the class referred to is of great utility in any fruit-canmng industry,

such as a pineapple canneryl, in lwhiidtltie Fh 8 su Jee oi y ow referring specifically to the drawings,

empty cans are automatica several necessary operations before being filled with the fruit. In handhng the empty cans certain operations include thestep of filling portable trays with said cans, and this work necessitates very high and continued speed by the operator, some of whom are capable of placing 250 to 30()A cans per minute upon the trays, over a short period only, the average speed falling far short of such volume. Since the filling of the trays is a necessary link in the chain ofoperations incident to the canning indust it is the object of this invention to provi e mechanisms which will automatically fill the portable trays at a speed much greater than may be maintained by the most skilled manual operation. Other objects of the invention will be made apparent in the following specifications,`

when taken in connection forming a art thereof.

In said rawings A Fig. 1 is atop plan view of a machine embodying our invention.

with the drawings Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1. p

Fig. 3 is an end elevation ofthe machine. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing portions of the machine, and the can-receiving hopper.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing one of the can-receiving trays mounted upon a conve or roller.-

ig. 6 is a view, partly in section,

showing the means for transferring the cans from thehopper to the trays.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7-7 5o of Fig. 6.

perspective of one end guide the cans into posiand,

section taken through Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 ofv in which like reference numerals indicate like .parts throughout the several views, 1 indithe usual supporting cates a frame havin lower side rails 3 and vuprights 2, upper an 4, and similar end rails 5 and 6, bracing struts 6 spanning the space between the rails 3 and 4, as best illustrated in Fi 2 of the drawings.

In the preferred embo iment of the invention as here illustrated, a motor 7 is properly supported on the rails 4, the shaft 8 of the motor being equipped with a pinion gear 9 to receive a drive chain 10 trained over a gear wheel 11, carried by a rotatablefshaft 12u mounted in trunnions 13 fixed to the rails 4.

As best illustrated in Fig. 3 the end of shaft 12 is operatively connected to a flexible shaft 13 extending upwardly, the top end of said shaft 13 being provided with a gear 14 adapted to actuate mechanism forming a part of means for marking the cans 15 as they pass along a chutet 16.' Since the marking `mechanisms form no part of the present invention, no further description thereof is deemed necessary.

The shaft 12 carries a pinion 17 adapted to receive a drive chain 18 trained over a gear wheel 149, mounted on a shaft 20, trunnioned in a bracket 21 carried between the lower portion of the uprights 2, the inner end of said shaft being provided with a beveled pinion 22 in mesh with a beveled gear 23, secured to a shaft 24, the said gear'being so mounted that the shaft 24 'is about 5 off from the vertical, for a purpose to be hereinafter more specifically explained. The top end of the shaft 24 is supported in position by a bracket 100 v28, itbeing noted that the inclination of t-he shaft 24 ycauses the disc 28 to be canted from i the true horizontal, the outerl edge of thepdisc .p ferred to.`

being located in a higher lane.

The disc 28 is compose of metal a smooth and unobstructed top surface permitting the cans to easily slide thereover, the said surface being in the form of a. dat c1rcular cone, the pitch or angular inclination of the sides of the cone being` about six degrees. The cans 15 are delivered to the rotating disc 28 in a single row from the grav- "ity chute 16, after passing through the marking device, a quarter-turn twist 29 being given to the chute 16, adjacent the disc,

t whereby'to cause the cans to be placed on end upon said disc. Secured at'one end to the chute 16, adjacent the disc 28, are guard-rails 30 which are located above and concentric with the periphery of the disc, said rails serving to retain the cans othe disc during the travel' of the latter. T e rails extend part way around the disc, the other ends of said rails being connected to a bar 31 forming part of the framework of a hopper to be later ret is'to be noted that, as the cans are delivered to the disc 28, rotating in clockwise direction as shown by the arrow, Fig. 1, they vare urged forward by the tractive force of the disc, and valso by gravity, the railsy 30 at all times retaining the cans on the disc surface. It is thepurpose of this invention to cause the cans to be delivered from, the disc 28, in

regular rows, to a hopper structure located adjacent a roller conveyor carrying the trays to be filled.

rlhe hopper structure is defined by a floor 32, havinga smooth metallic top vsurface to I,

permit easy sliding movement ofthe cansl thereon, and upper parallel rails 33, of chan-- nel iron, supported above the ioor 32 by bracr ing members 34. The floor 32, in the embodiment here-described, carries three extensions 35, 36 and 37, each directed towards the periphery of the disc 28, the outer peripheries of saidextensions being on the exact level with'or slightly below the level of the disc, and being shaped to conform to a circle concentric with the latter, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 andv4; .Partitions 38, '39, 40, are secured' to the rails 33, dividing the extensions 35, 36 and 37 into lanes leading from the disc into-,the hopper, the partitions 38 and 39'projecti'ngslightly over the surface of the disc, and the partition 40 extending over the disc on a curve substantially concentric with the curve of the guard rails 30,and terminating adjacentthe center of said disc. I

The floor 32, of the hopper structure here having shown, is provided with an elongated slot aligned with the vertical edge of each of the partitions 38 and 39, andplates 41 and 42 are vertically reciprocable through said slots by mechanisms later to vbe described. A plate 43 is alsosimlarly mounted for vertical reciprocation to open and close the front ofthe hopper. Secured at one end to the floor 32, and at its other end t lthe lower portion of the plate 40, is a fixed narrow guide rail 44, adapted to properly align the cans directed into the hopper by the plate 40.

As lthe cans 15 on the disc 28 are urged along the surface thereof, as heretofore explained, some of them remain in sliding contact with the guard rails 30 and are finally rought to the periphery of the disc 28 and are projected onto the extension 35, between the rails 30 and the partition 38, being finally pushed onto the floor 32 of the hopper, by pressure of oncoming cans at the rear, and held in a row by the plates 41 and 43. The oncoming cans on the vdisc are crowded to the left (Fig. l); after the front row in the hopper structure is lled, and are confined between the partitions 40, 38, and the rails 30, and constrained to slide upon one of the extensions 36 or 37, and thenceupon the floor 32, to fill the spaces between the reciprocable plates 4 1 and 42, or the plate 42 and the fixed rail 44.` llt is understood that, in di'erent I shorter, to receive as many cans as desired on each filling operation, dependent upon the size of the cans, it being also obvious that the reservoir is always adapted to hold a suii'icient number of cans to exactly fill one tray. ,In operation, when many cans are upon the disc, some of them will `be forced upwardly towards the central axis of the disc, but the extension of the partition 40 will act as a guard' and force such' can downwardly towards the entranceinto the hopper.

In Figs. 1 and 4 isshown a gravity feed conveyor 45 which extends adjacent the exit end of the hopper, and which is adapted to carry the trays 46, which are to be filled with the cans received from the hopper. -As clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the trays' have a smooth floor 47 adapted,\when on the con- "veyor 45, to lie in a plane slightly below the plane of the floor 32 of the hopper, and they.

are also provided with end walls 48 and 49, and a rear wall 50, the bottom of the tray resting on the loosely mounted rollers 51 of the conveyor 45, the latter being securely held in position by laterally-extending angle-irons 52, secured to the upper portion of each of the uprights 2, and strengthened by braces 53, secured and extending between said uprights and said anglel irons. j

A pusher member 54 is mounted for reciprocationlongitudinally of the hopper, and includes a rectangularly shaped structure consisting of upper and lower front bars 55 and 56,.respect1vely, and connecting bars 57, 57, one at each side. Rearwardly directed side rails 58, 58 are provided to extend in parallelism to the channel irons 33, the rear ends of said side rails being secured each to each by u per and lower connected bars 59. Each of t e side rails 58 is fitted with two laterally-extendin anti-friction rollers 60, adapted to ride on the track formed in the channel of the ra' 33, in the reciprocations of the pusher 54.`

After thecans have been properly assembled in the hopper as described, it isnecessary to actuate the pusher 54to causethe bar 56 to contact the rear row of cans and ush them into the tray 46,\carried on the ro ers 51, it being understood that the bar 56 is mounted for recilprocation in a plane above the lane of the xed bar 44 on the floor32. Sai means comprises a. cylinder 61 in which is reciprocable a piston head 62, mounted on a rod 63 extending through suitable packing vand projecting through the end of thecylinder and being rigidly secured to the bar 55, by nut and bolt connections 64, or otherwise.-

The cylinder 61 is mounted on orextended through supports 65, 66, secured to the iioor 32, the rear end of the cylinder being closed by a detachable cap 67, and theffront end" being also closed by a gland 68 into which extends the reduced end of a pipe 69 adapted to carry fluid under pressure. A coiled spring 70 is secured-to and surrounds the rod 63, and has bearing against the inner face of the gland 68, tending at all times to push the lhead 62 to the position showin in Fig. 6, a valve 71 in-s'aid pipe 69,controlling the passage of compressed air therethrough. The cap 67 is also apertured for the admission of compressed air, through apipe 72, to the -rear face of the iston 62, said air being controlled by a valve i) 3.

The means for controlling the s'upplfyI of` compressed air to cause reciprocation he piston 62, and thereby move the pusher 54 1n forward or rearward direction,'are shown in Figs. 3, 6, 8 and 9, it being understood that, before the pusher 54 is moved forwardly against the cans in the hopper, the vertically movable plates 41, 42 and 43 must be drawn downwardly out of theY path of travel of said cans. In Fig. 3, the pipe 74 indicates a sup- -ply of air under pressure, it being noted that said pipe is extended into a cylinder 75, bolted to the rail 4, in which cylinder is reciprocably mounted a piston 76 having spaced heads 77 and 78, as shown in Fig. 8. The pipes 72 and 69 also lead into said cylinder 75, as does also the pipe 74. In this view the pressure through pipe 74 is communicated to pipe 69, and thence to the piston 62, tending to retain the latter in the position shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 9 is shown a branch72 `of the pipe 72, leading through a valve 79 to a cylinder `as shown in Fig .84, extending through l,a late 86, to which plate are secured, by angle brackets 87, and olts 88, the lower edges the plates 41, 42 and 43. The cylinder 80 carries a reciprocating piston 89, secured to a piston rod 90, which `extends upwardly through a packing gland 91, andcarries at its upper end an enlarged head 92 ri 'dly connected to the plate 86 by means o a screw or bolt 93. The piston rod is screw-threaded at its upper end which extends into the head 92,.'a nut 95 retaining the head in position.

In Fig. 3 is shown a pedal and lever arm 96, pivotally secured to a standard 97 in front Vof the machine, and provided with a lever arm 97 pivotally secured at 98, Fig. 8, to a link 99, provided with a cross bar 100 adapted to receive the lower end of the piston rod 76', a spring 101 being coiled around said-rod and adapted at all times to depress the inner end of thelever 97 to retain the valve 76 in the position shown in Fig. 8, the compressed air enterin the cylinder 75 from the supply pipe 74 and being exerted through pipe 69 to Aold the piston 62 in the position 6, the valve 76 remaining stationary. With f valves 71, 73 and 79 opened however, pressure upon the pedal 96 will operate to move the valve 76 from the full line position shown in Fig. 8 tothe dotted line position, and the air entering through the pipe 74 will pass out of said valve through pipe 2 (see Figs. 3, 6 andl8). A portion of said pressure will be exerted through the branch 72 of the pipe 72, upon the top of the piston 89, projecting it downwardly within the cylinder, and also pulling downwardly the plates 41, 42, 43, carried by the plate 86, clearing the lioor 32 to permit the usher to eject the cans in the hopper. Att e same time however similar pressure is exertedthrough the main branch of the pipe 72 upon the back face of the piston 62, and, since upward reciprocation of the piston 76 has cut off communication with the pipe 69, the pressure from the pipe '72 will move piston 62 forwardly in the cylinder 61, and cause the pusher 54 to contact the cans in the hopper and` push them onto the tray 46. It is to be understood that when the'piston 62 is at the rear of the cylinder 61, the pusher is positioned at such a distance behind the rear rows of cans as to complete withdrawal of the blades 41, 42 and 43 through the'ioor 32, before the pusher 54 contacts said cans. The pusher is actuated quickly, it being noted that, as soon as the head 78 of the piston 76, rises above the end of the pi e 69, the pressure in said pipe is exhauste tothe atmos here through the vents 75', 75.

permit a In order to accurately positionethe trays on the roller conveyor, so that the ends of the trays may properly register` with the sides of the Yhopper walls, we provide a struc-v ture best illustrated in Figs.4 3 and. 4. In said views, a bell-crank lever is pivotally mounted at 102, to a bracket 103, secured to M'eadapted to swin of the plate44.

the frame of the ho per structure, one end of the lever constitutlng a detent or stop .104 into the path vof travel of the tray 46, an retain the latter in proper position. The other end 105 ofthe bell-crank carries a gear segment 106 onits'outer face, adapted" to mesh with a similar segment 107, carried on an arm 108 of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 109 to the frame of the ho per structure. The upper member 110 o the bell-crank is integral with'the arm 108 and carries roller 111, rotating freely on pin 111 Fig. 4. Carried by usher'54 fis a trip 114 provided'with a beve ed lower face such that, as the pusher 54 nears the forward limit of its movement, the trip 114 contacts roller 111 and ushes it forwardly resulting in downward) movement 4of segments 106 and 107 and a semi-rotary movement of stop 104 away from the tray to release the latter. Upon rearwardreciprocation of the pusher 54, the roller 111 iscleared by trip 114 and the stop 104 is restored by the spring 112 to position for contact by the next tray 46.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the pusher 54 is provided with lower longitudinal side rails 58',J and the rail 58 nearest the disc 28, is provided with an extension forming a separator bar 582, preventing the entrance of cans onto the iloor of the hopper at the front With the cams 15 being placed upon the disc 28 in u right position, and the hopper empty, it is 0 vious that the r-cans will ride on the outer edge of the disc to a point wherel they are locatedl op osite the forward portion of the plate 38. ue to a combination ofcentrifugal force, and avity incident to the conical slirface f t e disc, the cans leave the disc at this oint and are urged by the pressure of the ollowing cans into the first row of the hopper structure, being guided thereinto by the Vrails 30 and the partition 38. As soon as this first row of the hopper is filled, the oncoming cans at the rear will be deflected, ,by the cans between the rails.

30 and the partition 38, towards the lane formed between the partitions 38 and 39, and will enter and till the second'row ofI the hopper, between the plates 42 and 41, the third `row of the hopper, between partitions- 42 and 44, 4being similarly filled as will be understood. Fig. 1 ofthe drawings shows,

afrelatively small number of cans on the disc 28, and indicates the conditions incident to the initiation of the continuous` operation of the machine, duringwhich the disc is .practically filled with the cans, the rear cans ressin-upon those at the exit edge of the `isc an urging them into the lanes leading into the rows in thev hop er, the forward Amovement into said rows eing practically continuous.

When the hopper has been filled with the lpusher 54, the separatonplate 582, carried thereby, is projected successively between the last can to enter eachA of the rows on the hopper, and the first can in the lanes leading to each .of said rows, thereby holding back the cans in said lanes, during the forward movement of the pusher 54. When the pedal 96 is depressed, as heretofore explained, compressed air enters the cylinder and drives the piston 89 downwardly, causing plates 41,42 and 43 to clear the floor 32 of the hopper, and another supply of compressed air simultaneously enters the cylinder 61 and causes the piston 62 to forwardly move the pusher 54, attention being again called to the fact that the instrumentalities are so arranged and proportioned that the lates 41, 42 and 43 have been drawn entirely elow the floor 32, prior tothe instant of contact of the pusher 54 `against the cans in the rear row of the hopper.

, The pressure on the pedal 96 must be re leased immediately upon the completion of the forward stroke of the pusher 54, in order to insure the rapid operation of the machine. When the pressure on the pedal 96 is released, the valve 76 is returned to normal position by the spring 101, in which position the pressure in pipe 72 is released to atmosphere, and pressure is admitted to pipe 69, restoring the piston 62, and the pusher 54 con- -nected thereto, to normal position.

It will be noted, by reference to Fig. 2, that the hopper structure is inclined to ac cord with the inclination of the disc'28, n,e

lll)

cessitating that the valve structure 80 be somewhat canted to move the plates 41, 42

and 43 at aright angle to the floor 32 of the hopper. v

The 'plate 86, to which is connected the loweedgesY of the separators 41, 42 and 43, is mounted on angled brackets 115, as best shown in Fig. 2. The brackets 115 are provided with collars 116 at the lower ends. and

after the separators 41, 42 and 43 have beenA pressure is released in the pipe 72, by the movement of the valve 7 6 to the full line position shown in Fig. 8, the springs 119 will operate to restore the separators to normal position. l

By properly adjusting the hand valves herein referred to, with respect to the pressure in the ipe 74, the operation of the machine may e varied at will, the entire machine being controlled bg one operator at the pedal 96, it .being possi le to place between 300 and 500 cans per minute in the trays on the conveyor. A

Modifications of the structure herein disclosed may be suggested to those skilled in the art, but our inventionc'overs all embodiments falling fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim v 1. Apparatus for filling a tray with cans,

, comprising a hopper, an inclined rotatable table adapted to receive cans from a source of supply and-to deliver them to said hopper,

guide members adapted for contact by the cans, under the influence of gravity and thel tractive force of the rotating table, and to dii-ect the cans into the hopper in a specified orderly relation, and means adapted to automatically eject the cans from the hopper and onto said tray.

2. Apparatus for filling a tray with cans arranged in a plurality of rows, comprising a hopper, atable rotatably mounted adjacent said hopper and adapted to receive cans from a source of supply, partitions dividing the hopper into a' plurality of rows, guide menibers adapted for contact by said cans on the table and to direct said cans into the rows defined by/said partitions, means for automatically moving said partitions from operative position between said rows, and means adapted to thereafter automatically eject said rows of cans from the hopper and onto said tray.

3. Apparatus ,for filling a tray with cans comprising a hopper having a fioor, a plurality of plates reciprocable vertically through said floor and defining rows adapted to receive cans arranged in alignment, a pusher member mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of said hopper, means for automatically feeding cans into said rows means for automatically moving said plates vertically to clear the floor of said hopper, and means for automatically reciprocating said pusher to eject the rows of cans from the hopper and onto, said tray.

4. Apparatus for filling a tray with cans comprising a hopper having a ioor, a plurality of plates reciprocable vertically through said floor and defining rows adapted to receive cans arran ed in alignment, a pusher member mounte for reciprocation longituvthe pusher, adapted to to the hopper during t e ejecting movement dina-lly of said hopper, means for automatii @for automatically reciprocating said pusher to eject the rows'of cans from the hop er and onto said tray, said pusher actuating means being also operable to move the pusher in a reverse direction.

5. Apparatus for filling a tray with cans comprising a ho per having plates extensible through the oor thereof and defining a lurality of rows, means for automatically ceding cans onto said floor to ll said rows, means for moving said plates to clear said floor, and a pusher adapted for reciprocation longitudinally of the hopper to eject said cans onto said tray.

6. Apparatus for lling a tray with., cans comprising a. hopiper having lates extensible through the oor thereo and defining a plurality of rows, means for automatically feeding cans onto said door to fill said rows, means for moving said lates to clear said floor, a 'pusher adaptedp for reciprocation longitudinally of the hopper to eject 'said cans onto said tray, and means carried by revent access of cans of the pusher.

7. Apparatus for filling atray with cans comprising ahop er having vertically movable plates extensi le through the door thereof and defining a plurality of rows, a rotating table adapted to receive cans from a source of supply, guides on the table and adjacent the hopper, adapted, under rotation of the table, to direct the cans into said rows, means for moving said plates to clearvthe Hoor of the hopper, and means for thereafter ejecting the cans from the latter and onto said tray.

@Apparatus of the class described comprising a hopper and means for feeding cans thereinto, i'n combination with a conveyor extending adjacent an open end of the hopper, a detent mounted adjacent the hopper and adapted to contact a tray mounted on the conveyor and hold the tray in proper position adjacent the open end of the hopper, a Vpusher reciprocable in the hopper and adapted to eject the cans therefrom and onto said tray, and means carried by said pusher for automatically moving said detent to release said-tray.

9. Apparat-us of the class described comprisingl a hopper and means for feeding cans thereinto, in combination with a conveyor extending adjacent an open end of the hopper, a detent mounted adjacent the hopper and adapted to contact a tray mounted on the conveyor and hold the tray in proper position adjacent the open end of the hopper, a pusher reciprocable in the hopper and adapted to eject the cans therefrom and onto said iso 6 i i 4 1,740,893 v tray, means carried by said pusher for automatically moving said detent -to release said tray, and means for restoring said detent vto operativeposition after each forward reciprocation o the pusher.'

10. Apparatus of the class described comprising a hopper provided with a plurality of vertically-reciprocable plates movable to define rows o n the floor of the hopper, or to 10 clear the floor, in combinationwith means y for feeding cans onto the ioor of said hopper g between saidV plates, and Huid-pressure con'- trolled devices adapted for operation to move said plates to clear the Hoor of the hopper and to thereafter push the cans out of the latter.

i 11. Apparatus of the class described comprising a hopper provided with a plurality of vertically-reciprocable plates movable to au define rows on the floor of the hopper, or to clear the floorin combination with'vmeans forj feeding cans into the hopper between said plates, a pusher mounted for reciprocation 1n said hopper, lHuid-pressure actuated .devices adapted to move said plates to clear the floor of the hopper, Huid-pressure actuated devices adapted `to thereafter reciprocate saidpusher to eject the cans from the hopper, and a single control adapted formovement to simultaneously initiate'the operation of both sets of luidfpressure devices, in the order indicated.

12. Apparatus of the class described comprising a hopper provided with afplurality of vertically-reciprocable plates .movable to define rowson the licor of the hopper, or to clear the floor, in combination with 'means for feeding cans into the hopper between said plates, a pusher mounted for reciproca- 40 tion 1n said hopper, fluid-pressure actuated devices adapted to move said plates'to clear the loorof the hopper, iuidpressure actuat ed devices adapted to thereafter "reciprocate said pusher to eject the cans from the Vhop- 15 per, a single ,control adapted for movement to simultaneusly initiate the operation of both sets of Huid-pressure devices, in the order indicated, and means for automatically restoring said control to normal position,- whereby to cause a reverse movement of said pusher and said plates. l In testimony whereof we ax our signatures. u SIMES T. HOYT. 15 RICHARD M BOTLEY. 

